Self portrait of Harry Hall

Harry Hall (c. 1814 – 22 April 1882) was an English equestrian painter, whose works were in demand by horse owners. His output was prolific and he was the foremost racehorse portraitist of his time: his style has been described as being "strikingly modern... when compared with many of his contemporaries".[1] He also produced other types of portraits and shooting scenes.[2]

Career

Hall was born in Cambridge sometime around the middle of the second decade of the 19th century (dates of 1813,[3][4] 1814,[5] 1815,[6] and 1816[7] are to be found in biographies).

He first appeared as an artist at Tattersalls, working on a number of their publications; initially British Racehorses and The Sporting Review. He graduated to become chief artist of The Field. He produced a great volume of work, much of which was engraved. The Sporting Magazine published 114 plates by Hall.[8] He also worked for The Illustrated London News.[9]

Hall began life as a portrait painter, and exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1838, however his career was established on his first equestrian work being given at the Royal Academy in 1845 when he exhibited a Suffolk cob from Newmarket.

He worked out of his home, Willoughby House, Newmarket from 1846, and frequently across England and Europe. He worked continuously with no need for exhibiting from 1860.

Death

Having lately returned from a long commission in Chantilly, France, he returned home to Willoughby House, Newmarket and died there of paralysis.[10][11]

Family

His son was the cricketer Ernest Hall; his grandson, Patrick Hall, was also a cricketer.[12]

See also

References

  1. ^ World Classic Gallery website, Harry Hall Biography. (Retrieved on 10 August 2008).
  2. ^ Biography of Harry Hall Archived 2008-05-17 at the Wayback Machine at www.johnbennettfinepaintings.com (Accessed 9 August 2008), derived from:
    Christopher Wood (Ed.), The Dictionary of Victorian Painters ISBN 0-902028-72-3 & ISBN 978-0-902028-72-2 (Antique Collectors' Club Ltd, 1978); and
    Sally Mitchell (Ed.), The Dictionary of British Equestrian Artists ISBN 0-907462-42-1 & ISBN 978-0-907462-42-2 (Antique Collectors' Club Ltd, 1985).
  3. ^ The Tate Gallery, List of Works: Harry Hall, states birth year tentatively as "?1813".
  4. ^ Getty Research Artist Names Online - Harry Hall, states birth year as 1813.
  5. ^ John Bennett Fine Paintings (London), Biography of Harry Hall Archived 2008-05-17 at the Wayback Machine, states birth year as 1814.
  6. ^ World Classic Gallery Harry Hall Biography, states birth year as 1815.
  7. ^ Rehs Galleries Inc. (New York), Harry Hall Biography, states birth year as 1816.
  8. ^ Biography of Harry Hall Archived 2008-05-17 at the Wayback Machine at www.johnbennettfinepaintings.com (Accessed 9 August 2008), derived from:
    Christopher Wood (Ed.), The Dictionary of Victorian Painters ISBN 0-902028-72-3 & ISBN 978-0-902028-72-2 (Antique Collectors' Club Ltd, 1978); and
    Sally Mitchell (Ed.), The Dictionary of British Equestrian Artists ISBN 0-907462-42-1 & ISBN 978-0-907462-42-2 (Antique Collectors' Club Ltd, 1985).
  9. ^ Rehs Galleries Inc. (New York), Harry Hall Biography
  10. ^ "Harry Hall (C. 1814 – 22 April 1882) was an English equestrian painter". The Pall Mall Gazette. 26 April 1882. p. 3.
  11. ^ Harry Hall (c. 1814 – 22 April 1882) was an English equestrian painter,
  12. ^ "Obituaries". Journal of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. 12–16: 237. 1936. Retrieved 6 July 2023.

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